Wrench



B. a. PATTERSON.

WRENCH.

'APPLICATION FILED MAR. 17, 1921.

Patented Feb. 7, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

- uvyguron OfPa/fiemoa A TTOHNEYS WITNESSES B. G. PATTERSON.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 17. 1921.

WW7 mm m fir m we b; w. T M a 6 m H W P & 7 2 .0 u u u WITNESSES A TTOR/VEYS UNITED STATES BENJAMIN G. PATTERSON, OF- OKLAHOMA, OKLAHOMA.

WRENCH.

Application filed March 17, 1921. Serial No. 453,031.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN G. PAT- rnRsoN, a citizen of theUnited States, and a resident of Oklahoma city, in the county of Oklahoma and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new, and useful Improvements in WVrenches, of which the following is a specification.

The presentinvention relates to improvements in wrenches, and has for its object to provide an improvement of this character which may be quickly andeasily adjusted to operate upon various objects, which is automatically locked in adjusted position, which may be readily released, and which is of simple and durable construction, reliable in operation and easy and inexpensive to manufacture. I

Other objects and advantages of the invention reside in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming par of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side eleva'tional view of the invention; 1

Figure 2 is an end elevational view thereof;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view in section of the locking cam and associated structure; i..

Figure 1 is a detail view in side elevation of the sliding jaw; and

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of the locking cam and lever therefor;

Figure 6 is a detail view in transverse section of the body portion of the wrench;

Figure 7 is a detail perspective view ofthe coil spring; and

Figure 8 is a detail perspective view of the adjustable abutment and the guide pin;

Referring to the drawings wherein for the sake of illustration is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 10 designates the body portion of the wrench which is provided with a transverse opening 11 extending from side to sidethereof and with integral flanges 12 around the sides and bottom of said opening to enlarge the surface of the base thereof. The body portion is also provided with a longitudinal opening 13 which extends from end to end of the body portion and is inclined with respect thereto, as more especially shown in Figure 6. The opening 13 is preferably polygonal in cross section although it may be circular if desired and it communicates with the opening 11 and extends through the top of the wrench for a portion of its length. A handle or shank 15 is integrally formed with the body portion.

A fixed jaw'17 is integrally formed with or otherwisesecured to the body portion at one side thereof. A movable or sliding jaw 18 coacts'with the fixed jaw 17 and these jaws together constitute the coacting jaws of the wrench. The sliding jaw 18 is mounted upon a carrier 19 by means of a web 20. The carrier 19 is preferably in the form of an elongated and lateral enlarged block which is slidably received. in the opening 13 of the body portion. The web 20 which is preferably integral with the carrier and with the jaw operates in that portion of the opening 13 which extends through the top of the body portion. v

Means is provided for releasably locking the .slidingjaw in any position to which it may be adjusted with respect to the fixed jaw and includes a locking cam 22 arranged in the opening 11.' The lockingcam is of general triangular form or cross section, the triangular form thereof being preferably scalene having one corner of its base acute-angled and the other corner thereof right-angled. The locking camcis provided with a knife edge 23 and has. a rounded V groove 24 .in one face. The opening 11 in which the locking cam is received has its bottom ,Wall 11 inclined as most clearly shown in Figure 3 and the lower corners thereof are rounded, as indicated at 11 and 11. 1 The lower corners of the locking cam are also rounded, asindicated at 22 and 22". With this construction the bottom of the opening 21' is thusa single and continuous inclined plane and with the rounded corners provided, the locking cam is ful crumed or has its pivot bearing at the point designated at f in'Figure 3 and the locking cam rocks onuthis point, thevrounded corners providing for the'necessary clearance. An operating lever 25 is integrally formed or otherwise secured to one end of the locking cam and may be actuated by the thumb to operate the locking cam.

A coil spring 27 is arranged in an opening 14 provided therefor in the body Specification of Letters Patent. 1 Patented F b, 7 1922 portion 11 and directly engages the vertical face'of the locking cam at oneend and at I vided by the incline V and through the space and clearance the other end an adjustable abutment 23 which is threaded in the opening 14. The

spring 27 is tensioned to force or urge the knife edge of the locking cam into locking.

engagement with the carrier of the sliding aw. To enhance the engagement of the.

knife edge with the carrier, the carrier may be provided with serrations or small teeth 19. r

A guide pin 29 having its outer end rounded, as at 29 is carried by the abutment 28 and extends through the coil spring 27 The rounded end 29 of the guide pin is operatively arranged in the rounded groove 24 of the locking cam and thus the guide pin constrains the locking cam to rocking movement in all phases of its operation.

In practice, the shank or handle of the Wrench is grasped in the hand, usually the right hand, and the thumb of the hand with which the handle is grasped may be well utilized to depr'ess'the operating lever 29. The operating lever rocks the locking cam on its fulcrum f against the tension of the coil spring 27 whereby the knife edge 23 is moved away from and out of engagement with the serrated face 19 of the carrier.

Quick and easy adjustment of the jaws may be then made and after the adjustment the operating lever is released and its coil spring throws the knife edge of the locking cam into locking engagement with the serrated face of the carrier and thereby lock the jaws I in adjusted position. In moving toward and from locking position the locking cam rocks entirel on the fulcrum probase ofthe opening provided by the rounded corners. V

I claim:

1. In a wrench of the character described, a body portion having a transverse opening thereinextendingfrom side to side and provided with an inclined bottom wall and rounded lower corners and a longitudinal opening extending from end to endthereof and communicating 'with the transverse openin and extending through the top of the b0 y portion for a part of its length, a

handle or shank carried by the body portion, a fixed jaw carriedby the body portion, a slidable jaw, a carrier for the slidable jaw consisting of an elongated block slidably ournaled in the longitudinal opening of the body -portion,ia web connecting the sliding jaw and the carrier, and means for releasablylocking said "jaws in adjusted position including a locking cam of triangular form fulcrumed on the inclined bottom wall of said opening and having its lower corners rounded to provide clearance, spring means 7 for urging said locking cam to locking posi tion, guide meansfor said cam, and an operating lever for said locking cam.

2. In a wrench of the character described, a body portion having an opening provided with an inclined wall, coacting jaws carried by said body portion, and means for releasably locking said jaws in adjusted position including a locking cam fulcrumed upon said inclined wall and having a groove in one of its faces and a guide in carried by the body portion and operatively engaged in the groove for constraining the locking cam to rocking movement.

3. In a wrench of the character described, a body portion having an opening provided with an inclined wall, coacting jaws carried by said body portion, and means for releaswith an inclined wall,'coacting'jaws carried 7 by said body portion, one of said jawshaving a carrier provided with a series of serrations, means for releasably locking said coacting jaws in adjusted position including a lockinq cam fulcrumed upon the inclined wall of the-opening having a knife edge en gageable with the serrations of the carrier, spring means for urging said locking cam to locking position, and an operating lever for moving said locking cam against the actionof said sp'ring means.

5. In a wrench of the character described, a body portion having an opening provided with a rounded corner and a fiat inclined bot tom wall, coacting jaws carried by said body portion, and means for releasably locking said coacting jaws in adjusted position including a locking cam having a-rounded corner and fulcrumed upon the flat inclined bot tom wall of the opening adjacent the rounded corner thereof. r

. BENJAMIN erAT -Enson 

